Normally I don’t get into religious topics. I´ve experienced intelligent people with common sense, reach for infantile like arguments in the name of the Supreme being they serve aka God/Allah/Yehovah. Such arguments can end up very messy. But to be fair, as African/Black people these are conversations we need to have.
Disclaimer: I was baptized in the catholic church and later took the holy communion. Until my early twenties, I was a devoted catholic that prayed to white Jesus for salvation & forgiveness. All of that changed when I first visit the Elmina Castle in Ghana. Right above the dungeons, where they kept my ancestors enslaved, they had a church to worship every Sunday. Also worth mentioning is that my children are Muslim. This blog is in no way meant to attack or offend anybody’s religion.
Before the colonizers came we had all these riches. A sovereign Africa with social, economic political and spiritual systems in place. After the invasions we were evangelized but powerless. They told us our own African spirituality was evil and that our cultures were primitive and savage. All while doing the evilest things to us as a people. The irony of it all…
As Mahatma Gandhi said:
“Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.”
Another great wisdom comes from Marimba Ani:
`Your culture is your immune system’.
Decolonizing our minds
Without knowing who we are we can not free ourselves politically, mentally or spiritually. Any religion that demands you to denounce who you are can not be in the best interest of you or your people.
Black people are the most religious people I know, yet we find ourselves at the bottom of the social & economic ladder everywhere we are. We pray to messiahs or prophets in languages that are not our mother tongues. There must come a moment that we should look at our believes in a critical way.
The truth of the matter, Christianity and Islam has been enforced upon us and is such a huge part of our political and social systems. On the continent and in the diaspora, it would be naive to expect this to change any time soon.
The good news is that as we continue decolonizing our minds, we are also decolonizing our faith. We are replacing images of white Jesus with black ones. Africanizing Christianity to suit our cultural needs.
Last but not least, each day more of us are exploring and re-connecting with African spirituality.
At the end of the day, the way we connect to the higher source should bring about empowerment and justice. On a personal and collective level.
Lighting a candle in memory of my ancestors
I embrace African spirituality in my own unique way because it feeds my soul. As an example, every Monday I light a white candle and put a glass of water for my ancestors. I grew up seeing my great grandmother, grandmother, mother, and all my aunties doing this. This is part of my family culture. It reminds me that I am connected to a lineage of great women & men who came before me. They sacrificed for me to be here. It empowers me. It humbles me and helps me align with my purpose. As I walk on this earth making my own sacrifices I hope and pray that when I’m not around my children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren will light a candle next to a glass of water in my memory. Because every step I’m taking is in gratitude of the ones that came before me and for the love of the ones who are coming after me.
Culture is like Vitamin D
I often compare culture with vitamin D. As black people we are people of the sun. So when we find ourselves in Europe we need to take vitamin D as a replacement for the lack of sun we get in this part of the world. That spiritual Vitamin D for me comes in the form of another family tradition, my spiritual baths on New Year’s Eve. I take some of what I saw my grandmother doing and add some of what my own ‘yeye’ (soul) whispers me to do. As I give these baths to my children while we pray or think positive thoughts my heart runneth over with love. The smells of the perfumes bring me back to my own childhood when my grandmom gave us these New Years spiritual baths. The instructions she gave us about incense. But also the importance of reading your bible. The only bible I own was given to me by my late grandmom.
The Almighty source
The stories in the Bible or Quaran may or may not be all true. Again I’m not coming for anyone’s faith, I’m just saying I wasn’t there and there are all these different theories out there. What I know for sure is that I am here because there is a GOD almighty that love me so much that blessed me to be part of a lineage of amazing Power Queens & Kings.
What I also know for sure is:
I was raised by my late great grandmother Gani. A woman who was a young widow and managed, as an entrepreneur to raise five daughters on her own.
I was raised by my late grandfather, Papai, that cooked the most delicious fish, bean salad and breakfasts ever and always had my back.
I was raised by my late grandmother Ethel, that made sure I inherited a rich syncretized spirituality called Santeria. This is the navigation system I use to find my own spiritual path.
I was raised by aunties and uncles that made sacrifices every day. They rose above the circumstances they were born in, to provide the next generations with more opportunities, more freedom. I am honoured to call them my ancestors.
My culture is how I honor my ancestors
Religion/Spirituality is how I connect to that almighty Source. My culture is how I honour my ancestors. My heritage as an African/Black woman that is part of an ethnic group aka African/Black/Melanin rich people that is the cradle of the creation of God called humanity.
The source of evil
Recently somebody asked me what I think is the source of evil. My response: Ignorance. Because only ignorance would allow human beings, with their limitations to think they have the monopoly on the path to God. Ignorance and cult-egoism would put conditions on a love our brains are not even capable to comprehend.
Religion is religion. Culture is culture. We need both.
Love yourself enough to have Agaciro. “Agaciro” is a Kinyarwanda word that means dignity. This is exactly what we need as we continue to decolonize our mind, body, and spirit.
For me personally…..Africa is my religion.
Ashe
